More than 60 Christians killed and 20 houses burned in Oromia
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Nile Post
Attacks targeting Christians in Shirka district, Oromia, have left more than 60 people dead and 20 houses burned, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Five children are said to be among the victims, while residents have fled the area, the BBC reports, citing witnesses and local officials.
More than 60 people were killed and 20 houses burned in a series of attacks targeting Christians in three areas of Shirka district, Oromia, according to the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as reported by the BBC. Five of the victims were children, according to witnesses interviewed by BBC Amharic.
A church official called the attacks a “massacre” and said security forces had arrived at the scene but failed to stop the assault. Many residents fled the area, while the regional government promised to take action against those responsible, the BBC reports.
A local official accused a recently formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has not commented on the accusations, but has previously denied carrying out similar attacks. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council recorded 458 deaths in the area during the four years leading up to July 2026, according to a report published in July.
The attacks are part of a series of violence that the Church says is increasingly targeting Christians. They follow an attack that left 43 Orthodox Christians dead in Oromia, reported on 26 October.
